The Man with the Twisted Lip.
The case begins on Friday, June 21, 1889.
Why?
WATSON’S DEFINITE DATE REFERENCE:
"One night--it was in June, ‘89--there came a ring to my bell . . ."
"Of Friday, June 19th."
"One night--it was in June, ‘89--there came a ring to my bell . . ."
"Of Friday, June 19th."
WATSON’S MARITAL STATUS:
"Or should you rather that I sent James off to bed?" (In other words, married, but to a wife unsure of his name.)
"Or should you rather that I sent James off to bed?" (In other words, married, but to a wife unsure of his name.)
ISA WHITNEY’S DRUG SCHEDULE:
"But now the spell had been upon him eight-and-forty hours . . ."
"I thought it was Wednesday. It is Wednesday."
"I tell you that it is Friday, man."
"But now the spell had been upon him eight-and-forty hours . . ."
"I thought it was Wednesday. It is Wednesday."
"I tell you that it is Friday, man."
THE DATES OF NEVILLE ST. CLAIR:
"Some years ago--to be definite, in May, 1884 — there came to Lee a gentleman, Neville St. Clair by name . . . in 1887 he married the daughter of a local brewer, by whom he now has two children."
"Last Monday Mr. Neville St. Clair went into town . . ."
"Some years ago--to be definite, in May, 1884 — there came to Lee a gentleman, Neville St. Clair by name . . . in 1887 he married the daughter of a local brewer, by whom he now has two children."
"Last Monday Mr. Neville St. Clair went into town . . ."
INSPECTOR BRADSTREET’S ELAPSED CAREER:
"Well, I have been twenty-seven years in the force, but this really takes the cake."
"Well, I have been twenty-seven years in the force, but this really takes the cake."
DURATION OF MRS. ST. CLAIR’S ORDEAL:
"That note only reached her yesterday," said Holmes.
"Good God! What a week she must have spent!"
"That note only reached her yesterday," said Holmes.
"Good God! What a week she must have spent!"
WHAT THE BARING-GOULD ANNOTATED SAYS:
June 18, 1887.
June 18, 1887.
WHAT ZEISLER, THE KING OF CHRONOLOGY, SAYS:
June 21, 1889.
June 21, 1889.
THE BIRLSTONE RAILWAY’S TIMETABLE:
Funny thing about "Twisted Lip" -- Watson argues with a man who has supposedly been smoking opium for two days straight about what day it is, and only succeeds in confusing him (and us) all the more.
Funny thing about "Twisted Lip" -- Watson argues with a man who has supposedly been smoking opium for two days straight about what day it is, and only succeeds in confusing him (and us) all the more.
When Watson tells Isa Whitney that it’s Friday, June 19th, what is Isa’s response? "Good heavens! I thought it was Wednesday." Watson assumes the "it" in Whitney’s statement refers to the current day, but it’s obvious to anyone with a calendar for 1889 that what Whitney is really saying is "I thought June 19th was Wednesday." And June 19th was a Wednesday in 1889.
For a man supposedly in an opium stupor, Isa Whitney seems to be on the ball about what day June 19th was on. Had he really been smoking for two days straight? Watson trusts Kate Whitney’s word that Whitney has been lost to dope for 48 hours. But was she exaggerating, just to get the Watsons’s help? I think so. Whitney knew he’d only been at the Bar of Gold a few hours, just as he knew that the 19th was Wednesday.
Like most of us, Watson knew what day of the week it was. He just wasn’t clear on the number attached to it. Thankfully, he had a friend like Isa who was unselfish enough to try to straighten him out, even when embroiled in massive problems of his own (opium and a scheming wife).
The Smash’s final conclusion: Going with the crowd, Friday, June 21, 1889 for this one.
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